Quick Tip: Make a Cute 'Perfect Match' Puzzle Necklace

Here at Crafttuts+ we love a good excuse to make something new, and Valentine's Day is by no means an exception. After all, it's traditionally a time when those who are romantically-inclined get crafty with scissors and glue, fashioning a heartfelt token of love, long before the commercial mass-produced stuffed-bears, red roses and chocolate boxes became the present du jour. (Not that we're complaining about the chocolate!) But whether you're a cynic or a sucker for Valentine's Day, there's no denying that these puzzle necklaces make a pretty adorable token of affection - for everyone from your BF to your BFF.

Supplies

Two matching puzzle pieces (try to find an old puzzle with missing pieces from a charity shop).

Pencil.

Ruler.

White acrylic paint.

Acrylic paints in your desired colours.

Paintbrush.

Palette.

Exacto knife (utility cutter).

Hole punch - eyelet punch (or a tool that does both).

Eyelets.

Necklace cord.

Step 1: Choose Your Design and Colours

Join the puzzle pieces together and trace around them with a pencil to make a pattern. Draw a heart where the pieces join. This is the time to decide the placement of your guidelines and the colours you are going to use. For this project, I've used pastels with a contrasting bright color for each piece and a red heart.

Step 2: Paint Over The Printed Area

Paint over the printed image of the puzzle with the white acrylic paint. Paint both sides of the jigsaw pieces. You don't have to be very careful at this point, but just remember not to use too much water, as you want the coverage to be quite thick. You may need to do more than one coat. Allow the pieces to dry for at least 15 minutes.

Step 3: Prepare Your Pieces For Colouring

Join the pieces together again. Make sure that they are completely dry before proceeding. You can tell if they're not completely dry as the edges of the puzzle will feel soft. Using your sketch as a guide, draw the guidelines on to the puzzle.

Then take the exacto knife (cutter) and go gently over the lines - but be careful not to cut all the way through. Just scrape the surface a little, to prevent the colours from mixing.

Step 4: Add The Colours

Mix the paint colours to your desired shades and get ready to paint. Carefully fill the divided spaces with the allocated colour, according to your sketch. The carved lines help the colour blocking and create a vitraux (or stained glass) effect. Make sure you have painted all the sides and edges with paint, so it's completely sealed and water resistant. Finally, paint the red heart in the centre of the puzzle.

Step 5: Punch And Wear

Once they are completely dry, punch a hole on the top part of each piece. Push an eyelet in the hole and secure in place with the eyelet punch. Feed the cord through the holes. That's it, you're done! Brand new, recycled and very romantic!

Have you made any projects using old puzzle pieces before? We'd love to hear about the crafts you've made - just use the comments section below!